UNP Central Provincial Councillor votes with govt

Indika POLKOTUWA

The 2013 budget of the Central Provincial Council was passed with 36 votes in favour at the budget debate of the council yesterday. A notable feature was that UNP member M R M Hamjaad voted in favour of the budget while the other members of the opposition UNP group abstained from voting.

Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake said this gesture by Hamjaad and the rest of the UNP group proved that the budget proposals contained a people-friendly programme and that Hamjaad in particular, was pleased with the budget proposals of the CPC and the development programme of the government.

He said his administration had presented a result oriented budget which can take the province towards the planned development goals. Soon after UNP member Hamjaad voted in favour of the budget, all members of the governing UPFA group congratulated him.

Hamjaad who garnered the highest number of preferential votes among the UNP group at the last Provincial Council election, is the son-in-law of Environment Deputy Minister A R M Abdul Cader.